Adjustable crutch.



J. P. TONOLLI.

ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH.

APPLICATION man NOV. 13. I917.

Patented June 25, 1918.

JQHN P. TONOLLI, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

' ADJUSTABLE CBUTGI-I.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented June as, rare.

Application filed November 13, 1917. Serial 310.201,?46.

To all'whom itm'ay concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. ToNoLLI, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota;have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AdjustableCrutches, of which the following is a speci- 'ficat'ion, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in crutches and especially to oneprovided with means whereby the length of the crutch may be adjusted tosuit individual circumstances.

The principal object is to provide simple and strong cooperativeadjustable parts which may be made to function eiiiciently withoutadding cumbersomeness to the crutch.

Another Object is to provide an adjustable crutch of the characterdescribed whichmay be readily folded, one portion substantially withinthe other, for convenience in storing or shipping.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the further description ofthe invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved crutch,

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view through the uppermostadjustable part of the crutch,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the crutch as it appears folde Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view on the line AB, Fig. 1 and,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lower removable end of the crutch.

The crutch is composed of practically three adjustable sections, theupper body portion comprising the side members 1'1 and arm pit crosspiece 2, the lower body portion comprising the side pieces 3-3 and thehandle 4, and the ground engaging end piece 5.

The lower ends of the side pieces 1 each has formed therein a. singlehole 6 and spaced upwardly a predetermined distance therefrom is aseries of equidistant holes 7. An identical arrangement of holes existsin the upper ends of the side members 3, they each having a hole 8adjacent the end thereof and a series of equidistant holes-9 spacedbelowthe hole 8. The holes 6 are designed to register with any one of theholes of the series 9 snnu'ltaneously with the registration of the holes8 with any correspending hole in the series 7.

The handle 4 is held intermediate of the upper ends of the pieces 3 bythe through bolt 10 passing entirely through the coipcrating parts ofthe crutch and the handle at that point, and which bolt when the bodyportions of the crutch are to be adjusted, is removed and replaced asdesired.

Through the lower ends of the side pieces 1 and that portion of the sidepieces 3 engaging same are short bolts 11 having T- shaped heads whichoverlap the outer walls of the pieces 1,-thus providinga smooth andsecure termination of the heads of the bolts. These bolts are removedand replaced as desired when an adjustment of the crutch is made.

The two lower ends of the side pieces are spacedapart and verticallyadjustably support between them the lower end 5 of the crutch. This endpiece 5 is substantially I-shaped in cross section a-ndthe ends of thepieces 8 snugly fit within the channels formed upon either side of theend piece. A slot 12 is formed longitudinally the channels and throughwhich suitable short bolts 13 which unite the lower ends of the menuhers 3 with the end piece extend.

By slacking off these bolts it is evident that the end piece may befreed sufficiently to be raised or lowered for adjusting the length ofthe crutch from the ground to the handle a and secured at any desiredpoint of adjustment by tightening the nuts 14: on the bolts, these nutsbeing provided with radially projecting wings forming thumb nutsconvenient for manipulation by hand as are all the nuts on the otherbolts in the crutch.

Thus I have produced a crutch the length of which between the handle andthe arm pit cross piece may be readily changed or the height of thehandle from the extreme lower end changed and various modifications ofthe two adjustments resorted to with but little inconvenience.

The crutch is also capable of being compactly folded into approximatelyone half its length by the bolt 10 being removed and the two halves ofthe crutch folded together upon the bolts 11 as pivotal connections,this condition being illustrated in Fig. 3.

adjustably attached to the upper portion and a lower end portionslidably adjustably attached to the lower body portion.

2. A crutch of the character described comprising an upper body portion,a lower body portion, means pivotally and longitudinally adjustablyuniting said two portions and a ground engaging portion s1idablyadjustably carried by the lower body portion whereby both last mentionedportions may be folded approximately within the upper body portion.

3. A crutch of the character described comprising an upper body portionhaving depending side members, a single hole adjacent the end of eachside member, a series of holes spaced upwardly from each single hole, alower body portion comprising spaced side members, single holes adjacent the upper ends of the last mentioned side members, a series ofholes spaced downwardly from each of said single holes, a

' handle intermediate of the upper ends of the lower body portion, abolt passing through both body portions of the crutch and through thehandle, short bolts passing through the holes in the lower ends ofCopies of this patent may be obtained for the depending side members andthrou h the contacting portions of the lower body side members and aslidably adjustable ground engaging end piece intermediate of the lowerends of the lower body portion substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

4. The combination with a crutch of the character described comprisingan upper and lower body portion and means for pivotally uniting saidportions whereby one may be folded approximately within the other and inthe same plane, of a longitudinally slotted adjustable end pieceintermediate of the lower ends of the lower body portion whereby thelower portion may be shortened for such folding.

5. The combination with a crutch 0f the character described comprising apivotally foldable body portion the lowermost section of which hasspaced side members, of a longitudinally slotted ground engaging endmember substantialy I-shaped in cross section and slidably adjustablyheld intermediate of the spaced ends of the lower body sectionsubstantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN P. TONOLLI.

Witnesses:

S. C. BRONSON, S. GEO. Srnvnns.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G.

